Frederick Douglass Death
Frederick passed away on February 20, 1895 at the age of 77 in Washington, D.C.. Frederick's cause of death was heart attack.
When did Frederick Douglass die?
February 20, 1895How did Frederick Douglass die? What was the cause of death?
Heart attackHow old was Frederick Douglass when died?
77Where did Frederick Douglass die? What was the location of death?
Washington, D.C.
Frederick Douglass Birthday and Date of Death
Frederick Douglass was born on February 14, 1818 and died on February 20, 1895. Frederick was 77 years old at the time of death.
Birthday: February 14, 1818
Date of Death: February 20, 1895
Age at Death: 77
Is Frederick Douglass's father, Aaron Anthony, dead or alive?
Aaron Anthony's information is not available now.
Is Frederick Douglass's mother, Hariet Bailey, dead or alive?
Hariet Bailey's information is not available now.
Frederick Douglass - Biography
Frederick Douglass was an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writings. He stood as a living counter-example to slaveholders' arguments that slaves lacked the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens. Even many Northerners at the time found it hard to believe that such a great orator had once been a slave.
At an early age, Frederick realized there was a connection between literacy and freedom. Not allowed to attend school, he taught himself to read and write in the streets of Baltimore. At twelve, he bought a book called The Columbian Orator. It was a collection of revolutionary speeches, debates, and writings on natural rights.
Douglass first tried to escape from Freeland, who had hired him out from his owner Colonel Lloyd, but was unsuccessful. In 1836, he tried to escape from his new master Covey, but failed again. In 1837, Douglass met and fell in love with Anna Murray, a free black woman in Baltimore about five years older than he. Her free status strengthened his belief in the possibility of gaining his own freedom. Murray encouraged him and supported his efforts by aid and money. Tragedy struck Douglass's life in 1882 when Anna died from a stroke.
He remarried in 1884 to Helen Pitts, an activist and the daughter of former abolitionists. The marriage stirred controversy, as Helen was white and twenty years younger than him. Part of their married life was spent abroad. They traveled to Europe and Africa in 1886-1887, and they took up temporary residence in Haiti during Douglass's service there in 1889-1891.
On February 20, 1895, Douglass attended a meeting for the National Council of Women. He returned home to Cedar Hill in the late afternoon and was preparing to give a speech at a local church when he suffered a heart attack and passed away. Douglass was 77. He had remained a central figure in the fight for equality and justice for his entire life.
